First Listen Live: Alt-J, 'This Is All Yours'Watch alt-J perform songs from its as-yet-unreleased new album, This Is All Yours in the band's first concert without departed bassist/guitarist Gwil Sainsbury.

Nothing was ordinary about this alt-J show — not that anything is ever ordinary from the artful British band.

But on Tuesday night at (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York City, alt-J would play its first concert in eight months: its first without departed friend and bassist/guitarist Gwil Sainsbury, its first with touring member Cameron Knight, and its first playing songs from the upcoming album This Is All Yours.

The new songs have all the power of the old ones, flush with textured sounds from Gus Unger-Hamilton's electronic horns, steel drums, voices, and dense washes of grit. Lyrically, the new songs are equal parts creepy, lovely, puzzling, and expressive. In that expression is precision; you can see it in drummer Thom Green (watch his left hand) and you can hear it in the guitar dynamics and vocal phrasing of Joe Newman. This isn't a band of pyrotechnic wizards, but alt-J's technical prowess helped make this performance a deep pleasure on an extraordinary evening.

June 20, 2019 
Imogen Heap takes us through her many musical talents, from her Frou Frou musical partner, Guy Sigsworth — and their first new song in 17 years — to an extraordinary performance with musical gloves.